Year No. of Finalists Artist Title Subject Notes 1921 45 W B McInnes Desbrowe Annear Harold Desbrowe-Annear [ 1] 1922 53 W B McInnes Professor Harrison Moore William Harrison Moore [ 2] 1923 50 W B McInnes Portrait of a Lady [ 3] 1924 40 W B McInnes Miss Collins Gladys Neville Collins [ 4] 1925 74 John Longstaff Maurice Moscovitch Maurice Moscovitch [ 5] 1926 58 W B McInnes Silk and Lace (Miss Esther Paterson) Esther Paterson [ 6] 1927 56 George W. Lambert Mrs Annie Murdoch Annie Murdoch [ 7] 1928 66 John Longstaff Dr Alexander Leeper Alexander Leeper [ 8] 1929 75 John Longstaff The Hon W A Holman, KC William Holman [ 9] 1930 67 W B McInnes Drum-Major Harry McClelland Harry McClelland [ 10] 1931 74 John Longstaff Sir John Sulman John Sulman [ 11] 1932 70 Ernest Buckmaster Sir William Irvine William Irvine [ 12] 1933 Charles Wheeler Ambrose Pratt Ambrose Pratt [ 13] 1934 92 Henry Hanke Self Portrait Henry Hanke [ 14] 1935 120 John Longstaff AB (Banjo) Paterson Banjo Paterson [ 15] 1936 137 W B McInnes Dr Julian Smith Julian Smith [ 16] 1937 141 Normand Baker Self portrait Normand Baker [ 17] 1938 145 Nora Heysen Mme Elink Schuurman Adine Michele Elink Schuurman [ 18] 1939 135 Max Meldrum Hon G J Bell, C.M.G., D.S.O., V.D., (Speaker, House of Representatives ) George John Bell [ 19] 1940 156 Max Meldrum Dr J Forbes McKenzie Forbes McKenzie [ 20] 1941 133 William Dargie Sir James Elder, KBE Sir James Elder [ 21] 1942 111 William Dargie Corporal Jim Gordon, VC Jim Gordon [ 22] 1943 148 William Dobell Mr Joshua Smith Joshua Smith [ 23] 1944 185 Joshua Smith Speaker, House of Representatives , Hon. J. S. Rosevear, M.P. Sol Rosevear [ 24] 1945 197 William Dargie Lt-General The Hon Edmund Herring, KBC, DSO, MC, ED Edmund Herring [ 25] 1946 80 William Dargie L C Robson, MC, MA Robson [ 26] 1947 84 William Dargie Sir Marcus Clark, Kt., K.B.E. [sic] Reginald Marcus Clark [ 27] 1948 81 William Dobell Margaret Olley Margaret Olley [ 28] 1949 81 Arthur Murch Bonar Dunlop Bonar Dunlop [ 29] 1950 86 William Dargie Sir Leslie McConnan Leslie McConnan [ 30] 1951 92 Ivor Hele Laurie Thomas Thomas [ 31] 1952 83 William Dargie Mr Essington Lewis, CH Essington Lewis [ 32] 1953 72 Ivor Hele Sir Henry Simpson Newland, CBE, DSO, MS, FRCS Henry Simpson Newland [ 33] 1954 77 Ivor Hele Rt. Hon. R. G. Menzies, P.C., C.H., Q.C., M.P. Robert Menzies [ 34] 1955 88 Ivor Hele Robert Campbell Esq Robert Campbell [ 35] 1956 61 William Dargie Mr Albert Namatjira Albert Namatjira [ 36] 1957 69 Ivor Hele Self portrait Ivor Hele [ 37] 1958 66 William Pidgeon Mr Ray Walker Walker [ 38] 1959 66 William Dobell Dr Edward MacMahon MacMahon [ 39] 1960 80 Judy Cassab Stanislaus Rapotec Stanislav Rapotec [ 40] 1961 61 William Pidgeon Rabbi Dr I. Porush Israel Porush [ 41] 1962 81 Louis Kahan Patrick White Patrick White [ 42] 1963 65 Jack Carington Smith Professor James McAuley James McAuley [ 43] 1964 No Award [ 44] 1965 63 Clifton Pugh RA Henderson, Esq Rupert "Rags" Henderson [ 45] 1966 71 Jon Molvig Charles Blackman Charles Blackman [ 46] 1967 41 Judy Cassab Margo Lewers Margo Lewers [ 47] 1968 141 William Pidgeon Lloyd Rees Lloyd Rees [ 48] 1969 71 Ray Crooke George Johnston George Johnston [ 49] 1970 15 Eric Smith Gruzman – architect Neville Gruzman [ 50] 1971 17 Clifton Pugh Sir John McEwen John McEwen [ 51] 1972 53 Clifton Pugh The Hon E.G. Whitlam Gough Whitlam [ 52] 1973 53 Janet Dawson Michael Boddy Michael Boddy [ 53] 1974 50 Sam Fullbrook Jockey Norman Stephens Norman Stephens [ 54] 1975 40 Kevin Connor The Hon Sir Frank Kitto, KBE Frank Kitto [ 55] 1976 29 Brett Whiteley Self portrait in the studio Brett Whiteley [ 56] 1977 35 Kevin Connor Robert Klippel Robert Klippel [ 57] 1978 39 Brett Whiteley Art, Life and the other thing Brett Whiteley [ 58] 1979 35 Wes Walters Portrait of Phillip Adams Phillip Adams [ 59] 1980 No Award [ 60] 1981 24 Eric Smith Rudy Komon Rudy Komon [ 61] 1982 26 Eric Smith Peter Sculthorpe Peter Sculthorpe [ 62] 1983 28 Nigel Thomson Chandler Coventry Chandler Coventry [ 63] 1984 27 Keith Looby Max Gillies Max Gillies [ 64] 1985 25 Guy Warren Flugelman with Wingman Bert Flugelman [ 65] 1986 26 Davida Allen Dr John Arthur McKelvey Shera Shera [ 66] 1987 26 William Robinson Equestrian Self Portrait William Robinson [ 67] 1988 25 Fred Cress John Beard John Stanley Beard [ 68] 1989 24 Bryan Westwood Portrait of Elwyn Lynn Elwyn Lynn [ 69] 1990 31 Geoffrey Proud Dorothy Hewett Dorothy Hewett [ 70] 1991/92 Bryan Westwood The Prime Minister Paul Keating [ 71] 1993 27 Garry Shead Tom Thompson Tom Thompson [ 72] 1994 32 Francis Giacco Homage to John Reichard Reichard [ 73] 1995 28 William Robinson Self Portrait with Stunned Mullet William Robinson [ 74] 1996 32 Wendy Sharpe Self Portrait – as Diana of Erskineville Wendy Sharpe [ 75] 1997 31 Nigel Thomson Barbara Blackman Barbara Blackman [ 76] 1998 29 Lewis Miller Portrait of Allan Mitelman No 3 Allan Mitelman [ 77] 1999 33 Euan Macleod Self-portrait/head like a hole Euan Macleod [ 78] 2000 48 Adam Cullen Portrait of David Wenham David Wenham [ 79] 2001 31 Nicholas Harding John Bell as King Lear John Bell [ 80] 2002 31 Cherry Hood Simon Tedeschi unplugged Simon Tedeschi [ 81] 2003 32 Geoffrey Dyer Richard Flanagan Richard Flanagan [ 82] 2004 40 Craig Ruddy David Gulpilil, two worlds David Gulpilil [ 83] 2005 36 John Olsen Self portrait Janus Faced John Olsen [ 84] 2006 36 Marcus Wills The Paul Juraszek Monolith (after Marcus Gheeraerts ) Paul Juraszek [ 85] 2007 41 John Beard Janet Laurence Janet Laurence [ 86] 2008 40 Del Kathryn Barton You are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella Del Kathryn Barton [ 87] 2009 39 Guy Maestri Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu [ 88] 2010 34 Sam Leach Tim Minchin Tim Minchin [ 89] 2011 41 Ben Quilty Margaret Olley Margaret Olley [ 90] 2012 41 Tim Storrier The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch ) (Self portrait) Tim Storrier [ 91] 2013 39 Del Kathryn Barton hugo Hugo Weaving [ 92] 2014 54 Fiona Lowry Penelope Seidler Penelope Seidler [ 93] 2015 47 Nigel Milsom Judo house pt 6 (the white bird) Charles Waterstreet [ 94] 2016 51 Louise Hearman Barry Barry Humphries [ 95] 2017 43 Mitch Cairns Agatha Gothe-Snape Agatha Gothe-Snape [ 96] 2018 57 Yvette Coppersmith Self-portrait, after George Lambert Yvette Coppersmith [ 97] 2019 51 Tony Costa Lindy Lee Lindy Lee [ 98] 2020 51 Vincent Namatjira Stand Strong for Who You Are Adam Goodes [ 99] 2021 52 Peter Wegner Portrait of Guy Warren at 100 Guy Warren [ 100] 2022 52 Blak Douglas Moby Dickens Karla Dickens [ 101] 2023 57 Julia Gutman Head in the sky, feet on the ground Montaigne [ 102] 2024 Laura Jones Tim Winton Tim Winton [ 103]